Hoisting apparatus



ug- 5, 1935- F. G. BRoTz ET AL HOISTING APPARATUS Filed Deo. 5; 1932 2Sheets-Shea?, -l

' Ciwy@ Aug. 6, 1935. F. G. BRO-rz ET AL 2,010,054

Filed Deo. 5, 1952 ATroRNEY l Patented Aug. 6, 1935 A UNITED ASTATES,

PATE

HOISTING APPARATUS Frank G. Brotz and Kohle Adolph Mailman, Wis.

Application December 5, 1932, Serial No. 645,676

13 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in hoisting apparatus, moreparticularly to hoisting apparatus of a type adapted to be used inconnection with a crane, winch or the like for hoisting articles in theloading and unloading of boats and similar uses. I

An object of our invention is to provide a hoisting apparatus which willobviate the necessity of placing parts thereof under the load to belifted, as is customary in the use of slings and the like, and which maybe readily and quickly attached or detached from the articles to belifted.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a hoisting apparatuswhich is particularly adapted to the rapid and eilicient hoisting ofboxed or crated articles. I

We attain these objects by the use of the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing thehoisting apparatus attached to a traveling crane; Fig. 2, a plan view ofthe hoisting apparatus; and Fig. 3, a perspective view showing themethod of attachment to a box or crate. p

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, the numeral I refers to a rigid frame of pipe, angleiron or other suitable material. In the illustration the frame I issuspended, by chains or other flexible ,supporting means 2 terminatingin the ring 3, .from the cable 4 of the crane 5. A pluralityof pipebends 6 are attached to the frame I at suitably spaced intervals. Chainsor other flexible connecting means 1 are passed through the pipe bendsasshown in Fig. 3.

It will be understood that the object of this construction is toslidably mount the chains 'I upon the frame I in such manner as to beextensible downwardly and retractable upwardly, and that many othermeans such as, for example, a pulley, or an eye may be used asequivalents of the pipe bends 6. The chains 1 are provided with keystonerings 8 which provide a method of attaching or detaching a clampingdevice. The clamping device referred to consists of the ring 9,

a pair of chains I connected thereto, a pair of pointed hooks IIattached to the chains I0, and a coil spring I2. The function of thechains I0 being to support the hooks II in such manner that the liftingforce upon the ring tends to pull them inwardly and toward each other,it is apparent that many equivalent means may be used such as otherflexible connections or rods atposition and not interfering the crateand the tached to the ring by eyes, etc. A counterweight I3 is attachedto the opposite extremity of the chain 1. `The chain 'l is also`provided with the stop I4 which is larger than the bore of the pipebend 6 and prevents the counterweight I3 from pulling the chain 'Ientirely therethrough.

The operation of the device is as follows: the hoisting apparatus isattached to the crane, as shown in Figure 1, and lowered to the articlesto be hoisted. The chains 'l with the attached clamping devices arelnormally `held in the retracted position, shown by the full lines inFig. 3, by the counterweight I3.L Thus itis possible to use all or onlya part of the clamping devices, those `not being used remaining in aretracted with the use of the others.

The operator grasps such of the clamping-devices as are to be used anddraws them down to extended position shown by the dot and dash lines ofFig. 3. The counterweight I3\ acts as a The hooks II are then spreadapart Aso as to embrace the box, crate or article I to be hoisted. Boxes`and crates are customarily made with `an end strip of material thickerthan hooks I I are placed so .as to engage the under side of this endstrip, thus securing a firm hold. The spring I2 holds the hooks Il inengagement with the box or crate I5. As

a i'lrm hold'thereon. Thus, even though the box or crate is not formedwith a relatively thicker end strip as aforesaid, the clamping devicewill hold it securely. The clamping device is readily detached from thecrate by spreading the hooks II and allowing the counterweight `I3 toreturn the clamping device to the retracted position.

Thus the danger of the operator being injured by the hooks of theclamping devices not in use is obviated, as is also 'the difficultywhich would otherwise be caused by tangling of the hooks upon loweringof the device. A tag line I 6 attached to the chains I1 may be used tosteady and guide the apparatus during the raising and lowering thereof.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a means for hoistingcrated or boxed articles, which obviates the necessity of lifting thecrates or boxes to place supporting bars or platforms under them andwhich may be readily and quick` the balance of NTLoFFlCE 1y attached ordetached therefrom. The invention is further adaptable to hoisting anumber of boxes or crates at one lift of the crane.

We claim:

1. A hoisting apparatus comprising a hoisting device, a frame suspendedtherefrom, a plurality of clamping devices extensibly attached thereto,and means operating automatically upon the release of the load from saidclamping devices for holding said clamping devices in a retractedposition when not in use.

2. Hoisting apparatus comprising a hoisting device, a frame suspendedtherefrom, and one or more clamping devices supported by said frame,said clamping devices comprising a fiexible connector slidably attachedto said frame, a counterweight of greater weight than said clampingdevice attached to one extremity of said connector whereby said clampingdevice is normally held in a retracted position, and clamping meansattached to the opposite extremity of said connector.

3. Hoisting apparatus comprising a hoisting device, a frame suspendedtherefrom, a plurality of pipe bends attached to said frame, and aplurality of flexible connectors passed through said pipe bends, saidexi'ble connectors being provided at one extremity with clamping meansand at the opposite extremity with counterweights.

4;. Hoisting apparatus comprising a hoisting device, a frame suspendedtherefrom, a plurality of pipe bends attached to said frame, and aplurality of flexible connectors passed through said pipe bends, saidexible connectors being provided at one extremity with clamping meansand at the opposite extremity with counterweights, said counterweightsbeing of greater diameter than the bore of said pipe bends whereby toprevent said flexible connector from being withdrawn from said pipe bendby a load on said clamping means.

5. Hoisting apparatus comprising a hoisting device, a frame suspendedtherefrom, a plurality of pipe bends attached to said frame, and aplurality of flexible connectors passed through said pipe bends, saidflexible connectors being provided at one extremity with clamping meansand at the opposite extremity with counterweights, said counterweightsbeing of greater diameter than the bore of said pipe bends whereby toprevent said exible connector from being withdrawn from said pipe bendby a load on said clamping means, and a stop on said exible connectoradjacent said clamping means whereby to prevent said flexible connectorfrom being with-- drawn from said pipe bend by said counterweight.

6. Hoisting apparatus comprising a hoisting device, a frame suspendedtherefrom, a plurality of clamping devices extensibly and retractiblyattached to said frame, and means for causing the retraction of any ofsaid clamping devices when no load is attached thereto.

7. Hoisting apparatus comprising a hoisting device, a frame suspendedtherefrom, a plurality of clamping devices adapted for attachment toindividual loads, means for individually attaching said clamping devicesto said frame so as to be manually extensible therefrom, and meansincorporated in said attaching means for causing the retraction of anyof said clamping devices when no load is attached thereto.

8. In a hoisting device, the combination of a frame, a plurality ofclamping devices attached to said frame, said clamping devices beingheld extended from said frame by a load held thereby and means forcausing the retraction of said clamping devices when no load is heldthereby.

9. In a hoisting apparatus, the combination of a frame, a plurality ofclamping devices comprising a ring, a plurality of hooks and flexiblemeans for attaching said hooks to said ring, means for extensiblyattaching said clamping devices to said frame, and means for causing theretraction of any of said clamping devices when no load is supportedthereby.

10, In a hoisting apparatus, the combination of a frame, a plurality ofdevices for clamping and supportinga load, a like number of flexibleconnecting means, each of said exible connecting means having attachmentto one of said clamping devices and slidable attachment tosaid framewhereby said clamping devices may be extended from and retracted towardsaid frame, and means connected to said flexible connecting means forcausing the retraction of any oi' said clamping devices when no load issupported thereby.

ll. Hoisting apparatus comprising a hoisting device, a frame suspendedtherefrom, and one or more clamping devices supported by said frame;said clamping devices comprising a flexible connector slidably attachedto said frame, a counterweight attached to one extremity of saidconnector, a ring attached to the bottom extremity of said connector,and a pair of clamping hooks flexibly attached to said ring whereby whenthe hooks are in clamping position, the lifting of said ring causes saidhooks to tend to be drawn inwardly toward each other.

l2. Hoisting apparatus comprising a hoisting device, a frame suspendedtherefrom, a plurality of clamping devices adapted to clamp a loadsupported by said frame and individually extensible therefrom andretractible thereto, and means for causing the retraction of any of saidclamping devices where no load is supported thereby,

13. Hoisting apparatus comprising a hoisting device, a frame suspendedtherefrom, a plurality of clamping devices adapted to clamp a loadsupported by said frame and individually extensible therefrom andretractible thereto, and means comprising a coimterweight attached toeach of said clamping devices for causing the retraction of any of saidclamping devices where no load is supported thereby.

FRANK G. BROTZ. ADOLPH MALLMAN.

